They are trained to rescue and evacuate wounded soldiers under fire, operating far beyond enemy lines, but even for these trained professionals, the Zafit Stream disaster, which claimed the lives of 10 teens, was a particularly traumatic event.

Alum of Israel’s elite Unit 669 unit heed the call to serve and train civilians around the world to take practical, immediate steps in emergency situations By EMILY BENEDEK31 January 2019 Bar Reuven was in the subway in Brooklyn when he saw someone collapse on the platform. The 29-year-old Israeli moved instantly toward the trouble. He knelt beside the young woman,…

TEN YOUTH DEAD IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL FLASH FLOODS “We were unable to escape the current and were swept away by the river,” survivors said. BY TAMARA ZIEVE APRIL 26, 2018 18:45 Ten youths, nine girls and a boy from a pre-military academy, were killed after they were carried off by a surge in the Tzafit stream west of the southern part…

On April 1, Ambassador Dani Dayan, consul general of Israel in New York, opened his private residence to members of Unit 669, the Israel Air Force’s Airborne Combat, Search and Rescue Unit. Jewish leaders in attendance joined with members of the New York fire department, reinforcing the strong bond between Israelis and Americans in uniform who face common challenges. Ambassador…

Six air forces from different countries participated in the international rescue exercise “Sky Angels” held in Israel. The exercise simulated defense and attack against enemy squadrons, rescue of wounded under fire, and rescue of abandoned pilots